Customer Reviews

SlipString Drive: String Theory, Gravity, and “Faster Than Light” Travel

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Before reading this book, the only string theory I knew was what very little I saw on TV. This book not only brings you up to speed on string theory, but also proposes a change that could make string theory complete. After reading it a few times, the universe finally makes sense to me. By using descriptions you can "see" in your head as well as illustrations to assist you, this book makes all the strange concepts of dark matter and dark energy understandable. I never understood why the laws of physics worked the way they do until I read this book. Bender's membrane theory of gravity explains the reasons behind the physics. While his chapter on membrane gravity isn't exactly light reading, it's probably as light as is humanly possible, considering the subject. It took me a couple readings, but I think I finally get it.

Bender's theories about "faster than light" travel are the best hope for us yet to be able to explore our universe. He describes many uses for his gravity wave propelled ships, many of which could save us from disaster. He even describes medical uses for the gravity waves created by his engine. Talk about the practical benefits of science - this could completely change medicine as we know it. Bender's descriptions of the workings of his engine are detailed and they make sense. I hope I'll see one working in my lifetime - I want to fly it!

Some parts of the book can get a bit difficult at times, but it's mostly just one chapter that gave me the most difficulty. After digesting it for a while and then reading it again, I was able to understand how our and many other universes could be created from next to nothing. It's really amazing.

If you have any interest in string theory, relativity, black holes, how the universe began and will end, and even in science fiction or space travel, than this book is for you. You can get by without knowing very much about physics or astronomy. If you're already a physics or string theory expert, than this book probably is not for you. However, even the experts should read this book, as it explains the entire universe, and until now, they haven't been able to put all the pieces together.

SlipString Drive is a highly readable book which offers both a theoretical refinement of M-theory and an important practical application with dramatic implications for the future of intelligent life in the universe.

Along the way, Bender takes the reader on a tour of the sexiest topics of modern physics: the early universe, the large-scale distribution of matter, black hole physics, quantum entanglement, the impact of human life with the ecosystem of the earth, UFOs, the Star Trek/Gene Roddenberry philosophy of life, and our ability to survive the death of the Sun through interstellar travel.

Like many profound ideas in physics, Bender starts from a simple assumption and follows it to its logical conclusion. In this case, he asks what would happen if gravity were due to the curvature of our membrane caused by vibrating strings of matter. By framing the concept in terms of strings interacting with the membrane, he eliminates the need for "other" universes to theoretically explain the empirical effect of gravity, providing a more intellectually satisfying concept than the existing M-theory explanation which involves "disappearing" gravitons exiting our brane and permeating the bulk.

Following recent theories of the early universe in which big bang can be understood as a collision between branes, Bender applies this membrane theory of gravity. The massive transfer of energy from the collision, he asserts, would give rise to enormous vibrating ripples in the membrane, which would in turn cause a rapid contraction of the brane followed by its expansion as the collision's waves dissipate throughout the brane over time. This explains the expansion of the universe, dark matter and dark energy as intrinsic properties of spacetime itself, and provides a means of testing the theory since as time goes on the energy of vibration of the membrane should be transferred to the expansion of the universe as those vibrations dissipate.

In addition to the "big splash" inducing ripples in our membrane, a portion of the energy was transferred to virtual strings, creating real strings (of matter) in realistic proportions - more matter than antimatter because of the disparate energies required to vibrate strings in matter or antimatter configurations. Bender also suggests that surveys of the cosmic microwave background radiation - currently theorized to be a picture of the universe several hundred thousand years after the big bang (when things had cooled sufficiently to allow atoms to form) - may actually be representations of a much earlier time, effectively near the time of the impact itself.

SlipString Drive, as its name suggests, also describes a novel form of propulsion based on the concept of gravity waves repelling matter by compressing spacetime. By generating gravity waves of sufficient magnitude which superpose constructively at points outside a ship, you should be able to repel spacetime sufficiently to "pinch yourself off" from spacetime in an isolated "mini-universe" of your own. Now residing in your own spacetime, you would not be bound by laws pertaining to motion within the spacetime of the universe, since you are now isolated from it.

This method of propulsion would theoretically be testable using existing matter (tungsten) though it would work best with exotic superheavy matter. The detailed description of the prototype is therefore not equivalent to completely hypothetical exotic drives such as the magnetic monopole drive ("if only we had the monopole...") and is conceptually distinct from other theorized warp drives which require one to abandon special relativity or embrace radical counterintuitive concepts like negative energy. It is also distinct from proposed effects like the Alcubierre device which are dependent on hypothetical regions of space of unclear methods of generation and which may not be energetically feasible at macroscopic length scales.

From cover to cover, SlipString Drive is a conceptual romp - a must read for anyone who has ever wondered "what if faster than light travel were possible" - thoughtful, infectious, and mind-expanding.

It's nice to read a book that takes complicated ideas and theories and communicates them in a way that makes sense to someone without a physics background.

The discussion and explanation of String Theory and Membrane Theory was new to me. With these ideas laid out, Bender's book then attempts to tackle a "Theory of Everything" by making modifications to existing Membrane theory. He gives you a lot to chew on about how our universe started and where it is going.

My favorite part of the book is the chapter that describes how a Faster Than Light drive (the Slipstring Drive of the title) could be made and powered. I love the idea that the concepts in this book could be used to create a real Slipstring Drive. I just hope I'm around to see it.

If you are interested in what makes the universe work, you'll enjoy this book.

This is an interesting and intrigueing intro into String Theory. Having no background in quantum mechanics, I still found it informative enough to give me a good idea about its message. It is necessary to accept some things on faith, but once done, it is possible to follow the reasoning. I will reread it in the months to come to ensure I have gleaned as much from the book as I can.

Before reading this book, the only string theory I knew was what very little I saw on TV. This book not only brings you up to speed on string theory, but also proposes a change that makes string theory complete. After reading it a few times, the universe finally makes sense to me. By using descriptions you can "see" in your head as well as illustrations to assist the reader, this book makes all the strange concepts of dark matter and dark energy understandable. I never understood why the laws of physics worked the way they do until I read this book. Bender's membrane theory of gravity explains the reasons behind the physics. While his chapter on membrane gravity isn't exactly light reading, it's as light as is humanly possible, considering the subject. It took me a couple readings, but I think I finally get it.

Bender's theories about "faster than light" travel are the best hope for us yet to be able to explore universe. He describes many uses for his gravity wave propelled ships, many of which could save us from disaster. He even describes medical uses for the gravity waves created by his engine. Talk about the practical benefits of science - this could completely change medicine as we know it. Bender's descriptions of the workings of his engine are detailed and they make sense. I hope I'll see one working in my lifetime - I want to fly it!

Some parts of the book can get a bit difficult at times, but it's mostly just one chapter that gave me the most difficulty. After digesting it for a while and then reading it again, I was able to understand how our and many other universes could be created from next to nothing. It's really amazing.

If you have any interest in string theory, relativity, black holes, how the universe began and will end, and even in science fiction and space travel, than this book is for you. You can get by without knowing too much about physics or astronomy. If you're already a physics or string theory expert, than this book probably is not for you. However, even the experts should read this book, as it explains the entire universe, and until now, they haven't been able to put all the pieces together.

The author proposes to isolate regions of space from our spacetime by using gravity waves. A ship (for example) thus isolated from the our universe would no longer be bound by the speed of light as an upper velocity limit. It would also be protected from harmful gamma rays, X-rays, etc. inherent in traveling at such velocities. Such a ship would seem to disappear to an observer in normal spacetime when the gravity wave bubble increases in strength and completely envelops the source. The ship, operating in its own isolated region of space, would be able to maneuver abruptly and without regard to inertia, which would not affect the inhabitants therein. Novel ways of piloting such a ship are proposed.

The author proposes to create these gravity waves by striking a geometrically stable element (one with all of its shells completely filled with electrons) with one antiproton at a time. Novel ways are proposed to prevent an errant antiproton from damaging the ship. The massive negative electrical charge in the stable element (the author proposes tungsten or element 115) would be more than strong enough to repel the single negative charge of the antiproton, which would ricochet its way toward the center of a three to four cubit foot block of the stable element. The antiproton's momentum would be transferred to the stable element, creating a compression wave that pushes against the nucleus and causes a ripple of spacetime to radiate from the atom, because - the author asserts - the mass of the nucleus curves spacetime. The trillions of atoms thus affected in a large block of stable atoms would cause huge amounts of gravity waves to radiate diagonally down through the block of material. The author proposes novel ways to route these gravity waves to desired areas of the ship.

The center of the block would be hollowed-out and filled with nitrogen or a similar gas. When the antiproton reaches this gas, one atom at a time is annihilated as it comes in contact with an antiproton. This creates gamma radiation, which comes in contact with the stable element and knocks several electrons out of the outer shell of each atom struck. The electrons would then flow around a circuit, which would provide the ship with power (DC electricity to be exact, unless an inverter is used). This explains the author's interest in the heavier elements, since they will shed their electrons more readily.

The author spends time explaining differences between his proposal and those of others who also suggest using element 115. He also defends his proposal against those who have stated that element 115 cannot be used for this purpose. By agreeing that tungsten can be used in lieu of element 115 (although with reduced output), he gives experimentalists the ammunition they need to quickly prove or disprove his hypothesis. The author admits that practical use of this idea will rest on our ability to figure out how to generate antiprotons in an efficient manner.

I found this book a thoroughly enjoyable exploration into a new and novel method of space travel, but also a fun refresher on string theory which was much more than that, because the author proposes some novel modifications to string and M-theory as well. It was a very good read, and I recommend it highly.

This guy knows how to write in a down-to-earth, easy to understand style...and considering this is basically about particle physics and astrophysics. Very interesting theories, and he's got some good data to back them up.

SlipString Drive is definitely a book I'd recommend to science and science fiction authors. The limitations of speed of light travel are neatly stepped around as another potential theory of space travel is postulated and explored. Not only does the author present his hypothesis he offers possibilities for advancing related technology.

SlipString Drive does not require a college degree to be understood but a basic understanding of physics will make for an easier read. The diagrams are simple and help the reader to understand the material.

The section at the end where several of the theories are separately reviewed help to solidify the ideas in one's mind. The author doesn't claim to have solved all the difficulties of a Theory of Everything but has offered a good start.

This review is for the paperback edition.
I only hope that the hardback edition is more detailed, but the paperback certainly fails to convey more than 1 page worth of new ideas worth mentioning and fails to deliver those in any convincing manner.

I looked forward to this book by Andrew Bender to find something new in physics.
I hold a degree in atmospheric sciences and have a few years of physics studies under my belt as well, as I was always interested in space and space travel. I really looked for something here, but it just isn't there, whatever it was supposed to be.
What I found in this book found was unscientific and not backed by any math.
Even the source listings are for the most part NOT proper sources, but merely more popular science writings without substance.
Any beginning college student would fail the mandatory technical writing course for this gross violation of listing original sources.
The main idea can be plotted in one sentence. The author wants to create an isolated space bubble by means of a gravitational wave of critical strength to allow unrestricted travel across space.
He totally fails to show how his space bubble differs from the "mainstream" WARP field bubble, which he dismisses as impracticable as it requires cosmic amounts of energy.
Mr. Bender also fails to even mention how much energy would be required for his own space bubble to be formed.
There is no clue as to how this gravitational wave of sufficient strength could be created by means other than super rapid acceleration of substantial masses, a feat which in itself is beyond reach for us at this time and for a long time to come, if ever.
The only thing Mr. Bender shows is his strong "belief" in string theory, which in itself is not an established science, contrary to its followers raving chants.
As it stands, this book has less substance than even the sloppiest of UFO "investigation report" writings that in a few cases offer a good deal more substantial physics than this supposed non-fiction piece delivers.

Please include some "beef" in the next edition, if it exists.
There is nothing here except a semi philosophical thought chain about what could be done which such a device and why it could be dangerous to tinker with.
If the intention was not to provide details and substance (as the author actually states with the poor excuse that he doesn't want to create a cookbook recipe for malicious characters!), then why bother with this book at all?

Thumbs down, not worth my time, not worth my money.

The author jumps around too much, and he uses grammar and vocabulary that is inappropriate for professional writing. His writing reminds me of what I read on peoples' web journals (Blogs). This is simply a mediocre science fiction book.

For a proper beginner-level book about string theory, read some of Brian
Greene's books. He has a PhD and is a professor at a major university.